Game board



April 21', 1925' J. G. PITTON GAME BOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 8. 1924 CE W gmentw Jame; G. Piflon l t T Q a JAMES 'G. P'ITIQN, DENVER, COLOR-ADO.

GAME BOARD.

Application filed May 8, 1924. Serial No. 711,802.

simultaneously, one on the black and the ther on the red squares.

in order better and more clearly to describe my invention, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings in which the same is illustrated, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my improved game board;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section of the board when it is folded; and

Fig. is a plan view. showing the coins in place on the board in the position that they occupy just before the game starts.

My improved game board is constructed in the same manner as an ordinary. checker board and comprises two shallow box sec tions A and B hingedly connected along the edges 0 so that they may be spread out into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or folded as shown in F 3. The top of the board is divided into 6% squares which are alternately red and black. The squares marked Bl. are black as are the corresponding alternate squares, while the squares marked Rd. and all corresponding squares are red. This is exactly the same as on an ordinary checker board. In order that my game may be properly played, the board must be modified as follows :-The four black squares in the outside row of two opposite sides are provided with circles 1 of the size of a silver dollar. A diametrical slot 2 is cut in the board in the direction of the row and at right angles to the line joining the two 013- posite sides. The second row of black squares have circles 3 which have a diameter equal to that of a fifty cent piece and have slots l that are parallel to the slots 2. The third row of black squareshave circles 5 of a diameter equal to that of a twenty-five cent piece and slots 6, which are parallel with slots 2 and a are appropriately. marked in the 'manner shown.

The red squares have. circles and slots er the proper size for dimes, five. cent pieces and pennies. These correspond, respectively, with the circles for the dollars, fifty and twenty-five cent pieces. The rows of dimes, nickels and pennies run at right angles to those of the dollars and the movement of the men have a general direction at right angles to that of the dollars.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the pieces in To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES G. PITToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain \new and useful Tmprovements in Game Boards; and I do declare the following. to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will'enahle others skilled in the art to which it apper t'ai-ns to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in game boards and has special reference to a game that is played somewhat in the same manner as the ordinary game of checkers, but differs therefrom in many important particulars, which will be pointed out as the description proceeds.

It is the object of this invention to produce a game which will be instructive as well as entertaining, and which will be especially well adapted to teach children and foreigners to recognize the different denominations of United States coins now in use and how to count the money represented by the coins.

In the playing of this game all of the common silver, nickel and copper coins are used and thus the players become familiar with all the usual coins.

The rules under which the game is played are-such that aconsiderable amount of bookkeeping is necessary, thus giving training in adding and subtracting coin values.

The game is played on an ordinary checker board having alternate red and black squares which have been modified by providing some of the squares with slots in the manner and for tie purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

In place of the ordinary checkers I employ United States coins or slugs of metal of the same size and stamped with the value of the coins that they represent. For example, each player may have four silver dollars, four half dollar pieces and four twenty-five cent pieces, or each player may have four dimes, four five cent pieces and four pennies. Instead of the coins, metal or celluloid representations may be employed. lVhere the coins are used, the players may distinguish their coins by reversing them.

If desired, two games may be played place for a double game. Let us now disregard the dimes, nickles and pennies and assume that the game is to be played with pieces representing dollars, halt dollars and quarters. The first move is determined by tossing a coin or in any other Way. The pieces are moved as in checkers and may be jumped whenever the occasion permits. There is one marked point of distinction, however, between this game and a checker game, namely, that when, for example, a twenty-five cent piece from section A lands on a square on section B, which has a slot 6 of twenty-five cent size, the coin is slipped through the slot and disappears from the board. Likewise when a fifty cent piece lands on a square on the other section, which has a fifty cent size slot, then the piece is slipped through the slot and consequently disappears from the board. It a piece passes the proper row without landing on the square, as will happen when jumping takes place, it must continue to the king row before it can return, but may be saved as soon as it reaches the proper square on the return trip.

The pieces taken by jumping are termed profits and those saved by being passed through a slot are termed credits. The pieces lost by being jumped are termed debits for the one losing and constitute the profits of the one winning. The dollar pieces are played in the same manner and according to the same rules. It is, of course, evident that a. dollar piece may be saved whenever it reaches the king row and that therefore it is seldom desirable to employ the same as a king.

After the game is over, each player counts his profits, credits and debits and the one whose profits and credits total the highest is the winner. The debits are merely used as checks as they are always equal to the credits or" the opposing player. As a further check, the total of all credits and profits equal 331 100 when the game is played with coins of the three larger.

denominations. hen the game is played with coins of the three smaller denominations, namely, dimes, nickels and pennies, the game is played on the red squares and according tothe same rules. The total of all profits and credits in this case is $1.28.

The two games may be played simultaneously when desired, as there will be no interference between the pieces on the red and those on the black squares.

lVhen pieces other than actual coins are used, these are of the same size as the corresponding coins. On one side the value of the piece is designated, as, for example, 1 6, 5c, 10, 25, and $1.00. On the reverse side of the same coins appear difi'erent multiplications, additions and subtractions showing the most usual combinations. On the pennies, for example, there may be 1 5:5; 1 10=10, while on the nickels there may appear 5 5 :25; 5 10:50. 011 the twenty-five cent pieces there may appear 25 2:50; 25 3:75; 25 l:$1.00, all in the manner shown in Fig. 4.

It is evident from the above that this game is well adapted to teach children and foreigners the value of the United States coins and how to count money, thereby giving them the training necessary to transact business.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A game board of the type employed for checkers having alternate squares of the first, second and third rows provided with slots of the proper size to receive United States coins each row having a different size slot.

2. A checker board having the alternate squares of the first row along opposite sides provided with slots of the proper size to receive a United States silver dollar, alternate squares in the second row provided with slots of the proper size to receive a fifty cent piece, and alternate squares in the third row provided with slots of the proper size to receive a quarter.

3. A checker board in accordance with claim 2 in which the alternate squares in the first row along the sides adjacent to the row having dollar sized openings have slots of the proper size to receive a dime, the sec 0nd row having slots of the proper size to receive a nickel, and the third row having slots of the proper size to receive a penny.

1. A game board having its upper surface divided into siXty'four squares comprising eight parallel rows of eight squares, each of the three corresponding rows on opposite sides being provided with slots of the proper size to receive United States coins. the three rows each having a dilferent sized slot.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

JAMES G. PITTON. 

